No Matter How Hard I Fall
by Hiraethe
Summary: Gray and Erza are tasked with the mission to destroy a certain dark mage who has been destroying nearby villages. However, will their combined forces be enough? Gray/Erza oneshot.


**Hello readers! It's good to be back. For you all today, I am returning back to my roots with a detailed Grayza one shot. See you all soon! ~ Hiraethe**

* * *

"Gray, hurry up."

The order was fast and stern, and the ice mage, who knew never to disobey her demands , immediately quickened his pace.

She was the type of beautiful you had to look at twice. While her armored body and stiff mouth commanded discipline, there was something about her face that had always puzzled him. _No_ , he thought to himself, grinning. _More like pleasantly surprised._ He caught up to the scarlet, absorbing the sweeping landscape with a sigh of content. In front of them, majestic green hills rolled themselves into clear blue waters, which in turn opened up to a golden sea of sunrise. Erza, who had been staring wordlessly into the horizon, looked away.

"Something wrong?" Gray asked, in a casual manner, and Erza looked up to the pastel sky with a smile. She stopped in her tracks, and the ice mage, who knew Erza better than most, stopped as well.

"It's been a long time since we've gone on a job with just the two of us, hasn't it?" she asked, and Gray looked down at her before grinning. The scarlet's eyes glimmered playfully, as if, despite all she had gone through, some parts of her were still of a child's...innocent, without so many scrapes and bruises. He closed his eyes, beginning to walk again.

"Must have been over a month," the ice mage remarked. Erza chuckled to herself, and he gave her an inquiring glance.

"The last time I remember this happening, you had to be hospitalized."

Gray blushed at her all-too-expected candor, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. While he had all but forgotten the mission's events, he was pretty sure it involved him looking like an idiot.

He was right.

"Yeah..don't continue."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Gray," Erza lectured. "You had accidentally punctured your lungs with one of your attacks. While I agree the act itself was fairly unintelligent, you won, didn't you?" Gray, who had been squirming , turned his head away in embarrassment.

"Yeah, yeah...what did the request say again?"

"We are catching a criminal, by the name of "Rune". He's apparently been injuring many powerful mages here," Erza said, extracting the crumpled sheet of paper from her coat pocket. "He's attending the Royal Ball tonight. We're going as a couple." The scarlet did not miss the small blush that had formed on his cheeks, and jostled him playfully.

"Don't be so shy, Gray. You're the closest to me," she said, "and we have the most chemistry."

"What the hell do you mean by _chemistry_?" Gray asked loudly, and Erza laughed again. The two friends continued walking, against the blinding (yet welcoming) light of the burnt tangerine sky, and, the two looked at each other, and then looked away.

* * *

"Hey, Erza?"

The scarlet peered at the tall figure leaning on the bathroom door. His hands were crossed against his chest, and his mouth was formed in a decided scowl.

"Is _this_ okay?" Erza examined him dryly. He was wearing a blue dress shirt that poked out of a black velvet jacket, and matching pants swept over his boots. Despite his formal attire, his hair was still as messy as ever. He looked over at her, onyx eyes observing her outfit, and she blushed.

The scarlet was donning a shimmering strapless purple gown, which hugged her body and dissolved into a massive array of blinding silver sequins. The high heels she wore made her nearly Gray's height (which surprised him), and her hair, which was usually worn down, was tied into a glamorous updo. Gray laughed.

"What's so funny?" she asked, and he dismissed her question with a casual movement of his hand. "Remember, Gray, we're in love. Okay?"

"Are you talking about real life, or-"

"The script, of course," Erza responded, giving him a confused look. "When you see the criminal, alert me immediately. We'll go in for the kill." Gray nodded. His fist became surrounded by an icy mist, and he could feel magic thumping madly inside his veins.

"Ready?" she said, looking at herself in the mirror one last time. She brightly smiled, placing her hand in his. While Gray was a skilled actor (especially as an antagonist), he felt discomfort rise in his chest. Yet, with her hand in his, the midst of his doubt seemed to clear, and he knew that, no matter what happened during this mission, they would be okay.

* * *

"You WHAT?" Erza asked, stunned. The ice mage shushed her quickly, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I don't know how to dance," he admitted, blushing. "Is that really such a big deal?" He didn't receive an answer. Instead, Erza grabbed his hand, and they pulled into a dancing form. Their faces were centimeters apart.

"Aah...no...," he said, trying to pull away, but the Titania's grip on him was formidable. "Listen, I really can't." Slowly, Erza lunged towards him, and he stepped back, and they continued like this for a while. Their eyes were interlocked on each other, and Gray found it hard to turn away.

"It's as easy as that," she said. "Ur didn't teach you?" Gray winced at the mention of her name, and shook his head. Erza smiled, leaning in closer to him as they moved to the music.

"When I was young," she said, "Jellal and I would dance together." Gray looked away. It was clear she had a crush on him, or something like that. However, today was different. Her eyes didn't light up like before, and her mouth was drawn in a thin straight line.

"Are things okay between you two?" he asked tentatively. She closed her eyes, and she breathed out a bitter laugh.

"Stuff happened," she said, and paused, before smiling again. "But we're friends. Nothing more." Gray digested this information. He wasn't sure how to react. In the end, the ice mage went with his gut.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Some stuff doesn't work out, you know?" she whispered softly. He opened his mouth to speak, before Erza let go forcefully and got into a battle stance. Gray looked around, and, to his surprise, there was a dark figure lurking around in the corner.

He had tanned skin, with shoulder length sky blue hair. He held a cigar in his mouth, taking a long drawl before stepping out into the light. He saw them, and gave a sadistic smile.

"Hello, Fairy Tail".

* * *

Erza's eyes widened, and she transformed into her Robe Of Yuen Armor. The guests stopped their talking, looking towards them to check out the new disturbance the three had made. Gray glared at them, sharp blades of ice forming on his arms before pointing towards the exit.

"Get out of the building!" he said. "We'll take care of things here!" As quickly as the words had been spoken, everyone rushed towards the doors. The scarlet scowled at the man in front of her.

"Rune...," she began, "You've finally unveiled yourself."

"Titania," he said, bowing his head in respect. "It truly is a pleasure. The menace of the Fairy Tail guild, am I right?" Erza aimed her swords at him. With a sigh, Rune formed into a battle stance, an ominous purple glow emanating from his presence.

"Knowing your status, I'll have to go all out," she said, a sword spawning in her hand. "Demon Blade Crimson Sakura!" Her armor disappeared, and the sword unleashed a pinkish fire. Rune dodged her advances, muttering to himself.

"Thorns of Arnor!" He cried, sharp plant blades diving in towards her. Preparing herself for the attack, Erza crossed her arms in defense, yet the harsh meet of sword to skin never came.

"Instant Freeze!"

"Gray...," she said, watching as the thorns broke apart in an icy display. He grinned at her.

"I can't let you have all the fun, Erza," he whispered, before bouncing towards Rune himself. The dark mage laughed playfully, creating a magic circle in the corners of his fist.

"Rose Garden!" He shouted. As soon as the words had been uttered, a clump of red roses formed on Gray's chest. He looked down, before the plants blew up before him, sending him flying into a wall. Rune smirked.

"Be careful," he said, "They're explosive." Erza ran over to her friend's side, scooping him into an embrace.

"Gray!" She murmured,shaking him. "Gray, are you okay?!" The ice mage opened his eyes, wincing as he sat up. His form was battered, and blood poured down from the gash in his chest.

"What is your magic?" Erza demanded, transforming into her Morning Star Armor.

"It's Dark Plant magic," Rune responded, bouncing a daffodil in his hand. "I'm surprised your friend is still conscious." Gray staggered to his feet, ignoring his comment before

"Ice Devil's Rage!" Gray yelled, inhaling before releasing a large blizzard of cold air from his mouth. Rune cried out in agonizing as the spell sent him crashing into the wall. The area around him was reduced to rubble, and a couple of tables and chairs had fallen down. He held his arm, getting up.

"My turn," Erza said, rushing towards him with a blade in each of her hands. The scarlet brought her two sabers together, pointing at Rune. "Photon Slicer!". Rune didn't bother to dodge Erza's attack, falling down again with a painful thud. The requip mage crossed her arms, approaching him. To her surprise, he was smiling.

"It seems it's time to get serious," he said. Before Erza could respond, large green vines burst out of the ground and wrapped around her tightly. Gray's eyes widened, a sword forming in his hand. He was panting heavily, and, despite the andrenaline he had aquired before, his legs were shaking.

"I'm afraid you're too late," Rune said, staring down at Gray's chest expectantly. The ice mage looked down, and, in a flash of red, everything turned black.

* * *

Erza was the first to open her eyes.

Despite her attempts to move, her legs refused to cooperate. She rolled her head over to the side, looking at the sleeping figure next to her. Gray looked absolutely awful. His body looked beaten and bloodied, and his breaths came out in jagged pants. Erza, after propping herself up on her elbows, looked around for the enemy. After realizing that he had run away, she silently cursed at herself.

"E-Erza?"

"I see you've awoken Gray," she said. The ice mage winced as he tried to get up, but managed to wriggle over next to her.

"Damn it...," he said, "that bastard got away, didn't he?" Erza nodded, getting on her feet before pulling Gray to lean on her shoulder. Slowly, yet surely, they managed to get themselves out of the building and into the streets. Gray looked around, and turned his head back to Erza.

"I say we split up," he said, before receiving a punch to the head.

"Do you SERIOUSLY think that would be a good idea, Gray?" she demanded, and he blushed in embarrassment. "I can barely support you, as it is." Gray struggled under grasp in indignation.

"That's exactly what I'm saying!" he said. "If we split up, you don't have to support me!" Erza ignored the not-so-subtle glances at them from the village's citizens, kicking him in the shins. He cried out in pain, stumbling into her.

"Shut up and walk."

"...Yes ma'am."

They continued in silence for a while. After a while, even Erza grew weary of the long and fruitless walk. Their pains and aches from the previous fight had obviously started to worsen, and the scarlet mage, while she knew that she and Gray were both very persistent people, would not be able to continue for much longer. In order to regain some of their strength, the two mages stopped at a park bench. Erza sighed inwardly.

"If only Natsu was here," she said. "We need his nose to track Rune down." Gray grunted at her words. However, returning to the guild was not an option. The depleted pride as well as despondent faces of their peers was too much a price to pay, and Gee-chan would no doubt be disappointed by their humiliating loss. In the midst of his pensive reverie, the ice mage caught sight of a spark of blue hair, and he pulled Erza up quickly.

"What are you doing?"

"I just spotted him," Gray said, walking into one of the alleyways with his hands raised in a fighting position. The only sound they could hear was the sound of their shoes on the jagged cobblestone as well as their own breathing. Erza and Gray stood back to back, their eyes alert.

"Were you looking for me?"

The eerily familiar voice made the two mages turn towards him, their eyes emitting an angry gleam. Rune, too, was injured. His body was littered with the burn marks from Erza's Morning Star blades, and a huge gash mark stretched across his stomach where Gray's ice attack had hurt the most.

"Let's finish this, Rune," Gray said, a sword forming in his hand. A gust of wind blew against them, yet, none of them were forced back an inch. The devil slayer tattoo once again emerged on Gray's arm, and Rune let out an evil smirk.

"You're one of Ur's pupils, aren't you?" he asked. Gray's eyes widened in shock, and the sword he was holding disappeared. He gritted his teeth.

"How...how do you know her?" he asked. Rune chuckled lightly.

"She was legendary," he said. "At least, until Deliora got her. Everyone respected her for her magic abilities. However, to be done in by a demon is absolutely pitiful. No wonder you're so weak." Gray growled angrily, approaching him rapidly.

"You don't know...you don't know the terror of Deliora!" he yelled. Rune smiled, and Erza, who had been standing off at the sidelines, put a reassuring hand on Gray's shoulder.

"He's provoking you, Gray," she whispered. His form shook below the mage's grip, and something deep in his heart twisted viciously.

"Rune!" he cried, leaping towards him. "Ice Magic: Zero Sword!" The dark mage spit out some blood from the attack, flying back a few inches before casting a magic spell himself.

"Gray, watch out!" Erza called, stepping in front of him to fend off some of the thorns headed his way. After preparing another spell, he ran out of her protection, blades forming on his arms as he rushed towards the unprepared dark mage ferociously.

"Thanks, Erza!" he said, swinging his arms before striking at his opponent mercilessly. "Ice Make: Seven Slice Dance!". Rune cried out in pain as the blades impacted his body, putting his hands together with a magic circle of his own.

"You have yet to comprehend the true power of my magic," he said, breathing heavily as a few plants appeared on the ground. Gray looked at them suspiciously.

"What are these?" he demanded, and Rune chuckled.

"These are rust camellias," he explained. "They release a poisonous aroma." Rune had already equipped his face with a gas mask. Gray winced, and both fairies covered their nose and mouth. The plants proceeded to belch out a sickly purple substance, the air beginning to fill with poison. Rune snickered at the silence that followed his attack, walking away from the alley with a grin on his face. He spit out some blood.

"Idiot fairies...," he muttered, staggering over to the side. "I'm all out of magic now..." He was a few feet away when the sound of scuffling came to his ears. His form shook rigorously, and his eyes stared at the ground in disbelief.

" _No_."

"You should be more careful next time, Gray. Makarov taught us to never give an opponent an opening, remember?".

"Yeah, yeah. If I hadn't froze the gas, then we'd be dead right now."

Rune's legs shook, and he turned around in desperation.

"How the hell are you still alive?!" he yelled.

The plants, as well as the poisonous gas they emitted were completely frozen over, and the two fairies, while they still were heavily wounded from the previous battle, seemed unfazed by the dark mage's ultimate trump card. Erza looked at Gray, and he nodded. The scarlet transformed into a pastel pink armor, her hair tied in a loose fitting braid. She stepped forwards.

"This will be the last attack," she said. "Armadura Fairy Armor! Piercing Sword!" A lone blade was grasped in her hand, magic bellowing beneath its blade. She rushed towards Rune. The dark mage was backed up against a wall, frozen in fear as the impending attack flashed before his eyes. Erza pierced his skin, driving the sword into his body. Rune cried out in pain, and a gigantic shock wave blew the two forces apart. Gray was driven back by the sheer impact of the attack, closing one of his eyes as he tried to blink away the dust in his vision.

"Damn it, Erza...you went too far this time!"

Erza stepped back hesitantly, her breathing labored and her legs shaking beneath her. Rune, was completely knocked out, his body battered considerably. With a final exhale, she trusted the darkness that overcame her to provide her with strength, and, when light came once more, for her to be safe.

* * *

"I'm hungry...," Natsu said, rubbing his stomach with a decided pout. Happy giggled, looking over in the direction of Magnolia with hidden glee.

"We should go over to Lucy's," he said. "I feel really bad that we didn't invite her on this job."

"Don't worry Happy, I'm sure she's having a great time with Levy!" Natsu responded, rubbing the exceed's head affectionately before his nose perked up. Happy flew along side him as the fire dragon slayer sprinted off in the opposite direction, sniffing the air ravenously.

"Natsu, what's wrong?"

"Don't you smell that?" he asked, and the blue cat sniffed the air as well. They delved into one of the back alleys, digging up pieces of rubble before encountering the bodies of their two friends. Natsu bit his lip.

Gray had multiple deep gashes riddled across his body, and much of his torso was cut open. The only thing peaceful about his appearance were his eyes, which were closed peacefully, and the soft breaths that came from his mouth.

Erza looked just as bad. Her armor had disappeared as she had ebbed away from consciousness, and, thus, her hair was spread around messily. She, too, had multiple wounds, and it looked as if both had used up all of their magical power, as well as energy. Natsu handed Gray to carry, before lifting the scarlet up bridal style.

"We'll have to carry them home," he whispered. Happy lifted Gray into the sky, and the dragon slayer looked up at the exceed in worry.

"Hey, be careful with him!" Natsu called, and Happy giggled despite himself.

"Oh, so you really DO care about Gray, don't you Natsu?" the exceed asked, and Natsu's face turned red.

"S-shut up!"

* * *

As night turned into day, and the strongest team rested by their comrades' sides, things started to get a little more peaceful. Makarov, relieved at the knowledge that Gray and Erza were back safe and sound, was tasked with the mission of adding up the property damage that the two mages had accumulated. The old man held his head, surrounded by his paperwork.

"Let's see...twenty homes, the royal hall, and some guy's cabbage stand...that adds up to..," Makarov eye's widened at the amount. "7,000,000 jewels?!" Mirajane walked up to him with a glass of beer, handing it to him. He took it with a dissatisfied grunt, taking a gulp of his drink.

Lucy was the first to wake up. She immediately went over to Gray's side. She smiled, stroking the raven's hair affectionately. The ice mage had become a brother figure to her, and, while he was constantly stealing her book and breaking into her house, she could not deny how much he meant to her. The celestial mage was taken aback when she saw Gray's brow furrow slightly, and gasped when his onyx eyes began to open.

'Gray!" She yelled, hugging his neck tightly. He groaned. At the sound of Lucy's voice, the other members had awoken, and Natsu helped the ice mage into a sitting position. Erza, too, had woken up from the commotion, and was bombarded by a variety of hugs as had her teammate. The scarlet smiled, looking around. In that moment, she realized that no matter how hard she fell, one of her teammates would always be there to catch her.

* * *

 **We're done! Sorry for it being a rushed ending...I've been writing, editing, and REVISING this for the longest time (a whole week, maybe), and I couldn't wait to get it out there! For those who have read my previous works, I am happy to announce that I will be starting a chapter-story starting next week, and will be continuing my drabbles in between!**

 **However, be warned that I might deviate from my Fairy Tail path and start writing for a different anime (One Piece). I'm particularly happy that I crossed the 3K word count, since I am naturally very concise in my speech, and hope to increase my word count for you all!**

 **See ya in the next update! ~ Hiraethe**


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